Chapter 8
I pulled out my phone and addressed the crowd.
“You all want to know why the investors walked out? Fine, let me show you.”
I played a surveillance video from the company. Madeline’s voice came through loud and clear.
“I suggest we serve Yoo–hoo to the investors.”
The footage then showed me being forcibly dragged away.
Next came the chaotic meeting room- -no one managing the space, everything in disarray.
Bystanders began gathering, murmuring and scoffing.
“Is this woman an idiot? Who serves Yoo–hoo at a business meeting?”
“And the CEO approved it? He must be even dumber! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Their commentary turned Madeline and Gavin pale with embarrassment.
The shareholders‘ families turned on Madeline, furious.
“So it was you, you little snake! I knew something was off about you.
“Framing Sloane? Where did you get the nerve?”
Gavin stepped forward to shield Madeline from the angry crowd.
She clung to his shirt, sneaking a smug glance at me.
I took out another video–footage from the basement–and handed it to the police.
“Not only did they lock me up, they set a dog on me. Attempted murder.
In the video, Madeline was seen leading a red–eyed dog and removing its muzzle before shoving it into the basement with me inside.
My body was mauled.
The crowd gasped.
“Holy hell… that’s a Tibetan mastiff! Those things can kill a tiger.”
“This is basically attempted murder. She’s a monster.”
Then I played a third video.
The moment the audio started, Madeline’s face drained of color.
“Don’t worry. I’ll serve them Yoo–hoo and animal crackers. Let the funding crash and burn.”
“The latest confidential project files are in your inbox. Review the bid specs carefully we have to win this.”
It was a conversation between Madeline and a man in black
Lately, we’d been losing bids repeatedly, always undercut by companies offering near–identical pricing. I’d suspected a mole.
Gavin’s eyes went wide. He turned to Madeline, stunned.
“You’re a corporate spy?”
That was the breaking point. The shareholders and their families erupted.
Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
Gavin’s mother slapped Madeline hard across the face.
“You lying bitch! You conned us all!”
Madeline screamed, covering her face and scrambling away, legs shaking.
The onlookers enjoyed the drama.
“Karma’s a bitch. Ditch your fiancée one day, get burned by your mistress the next.”
“Those shareholders must be idiots. No business sense at all.”
Madeline tried to shield herself, sobbing uncontrollably.
“No! Sloane framed me! It’s all fake!”
“It was Sloane’s fault the investors left!”
But no one believed her anymore. The crowd descended into chaos.
The shareholders screamed at her.
“You sabotaged us! You leaked company intel and ruined our investment!”
Had the company gone public, their assets would’ve skyrocketed.
Now, it was all gone.
The company’s finances were shot. Their personal loans wouldn’t be recovered. Their homes, mortgaged for investment, would be seized by banks.
They were all bankrupt–drowning in debt.
Consumed by rage and desperation, they lunged at Madeline, beating her relentlessly.
“I’ll kill you!”
“You conniving whore!”
Even the police couldn’t control the crowd and had to call for backup.
Only with reinforcements did they manage to pull people apart.
Madeline’s face was bloodied, her silicone nose bent out of shape, chunks of her hair ripped out, her scalp exposed.
The shareholders were taken away by police.
As Gavin was escorted off, he looked back at me with guilt in his eyes.
“Sloane… I’m sorry. I didn’t know she set that dog on you.”
I stared at him with cold indifference.
“Didn’t know? Yet Madeline had free access to your house.”
Gavin opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. He lowered his head and left, defeated.
